I, Robot
3/4
Starring: Will Smith, Brigette Moynahan, Bruce Greenwood, Chi McBride, James Cromwell, Shia LeBeouf, Alan Tudyk (voice)
Rated PG-13 for Intense Stylized Action, and Some Brief Partial Nudity
Law I: A robot may not injure a human being, or through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
Law II: A robot must obey orders given it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law
Law III: A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law
These are the "Three Laws of Robotics" created by Isaac Asimov, and they form the foundation of Alex Proyas' film, "I, Robot." Although flawed, one must give credit where it is due: this is a surprisingly intelligent action movie, and one that piques the mind as well as raises the adrenaline.
In the year 2035, robots are a permanent part of life. They're everywhere, and many people own one. They are so ingrained in society that people have come to rely on them absolutely. One person, however, does not like them. In fact, he hates them enough to be labeled as "robotophobic." This man is Del Spooner (Smith) a Chicago homicide detective. His distrust of robots is well known to everyone, and it's gotten him into hot water with his lieutenant, John Bergin (McBride). But when lead robot designer Alfred Manning (Cromwell) has killed himself on the eve of the NS-5 (the newest robot) distribution, Del is convinced that a robot named Sonny (Tudyk) did it. But how is that possible if a robot cannot break the Three Laws?
It's a perplexing question, and although "I, Robot" seems like a formulaic action movie, it doesn't take long to realize that it's not. Distilled to its essence, this is a murder mystery with action scenes thrown in, but they are not carelessly grafted on. The script, by Jeff Vintar and Akiva Goldsman, is well thought out. Additionally, they include some ideas about what it means to be human.
The acting is solid. Will Smith, the world's biggest movie star, is perfectly at home as Del. Del has some buried secrets behind his hatred of robots, but since this is a summer action movie, we know it's only a matter of time before he turns out to be right. As his female sidekick, Moynahan is also good as "robot psychiatrist" Dr. Susan Calvin. She lacks screen presence, but she's a decent actress. She also has some comic skills, which are put to good use when she tries to use Del's stereo. Alan Tudyk is very good as Sonny, voicing him with naivete and innocence (although since he is entirely rendered by CGI, computers help a lot in that regard. Able support is given by character actors Bruce Greenwood, Chi McBride, and James Cromwell.
Alex Proyas has directed a number of stylish action movies, like "Dark City" and "The Crow." Both of those movies where covered in darkness and despair. "I, Robot" doesn't really have any sense of style, grim or otherwise. In fact, it looks pretty bland, especially when compared to another intelligent sci-fi action movie, "Minority Report." That being said, the film does contain a plot that we want to see through to the end and some impressive action sequences.
In short, this is a good flick.
Starring: Will Smith, Brigette Moynahan, Bruce Greenwood, Chi McBride, James Cromwell, Shia LeBeouf, Alan Tudyk (voice)
Rated PG-13 for Intense Stylized Action, and Some Brief Partial Nudity
Law I: A robot may not injure a human being, or through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
Law II: A robot must obey orders given it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law
Law III: A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law
These are the "Three Laws of Robotics" created by Isaac Asimov, and they form the foundation of Alex Proyas' film, "I, Robot." Although flawed, one must give credit where it is due: this is a surprisingly intelligent action movie, and one that piques the mind as well as raises the adrenaline.
In the year 2035, robots are a permanent part of life. They're everywhere, and many people own one. They are so ingrained in society that people have come to rely on them absolutely. One person, however, does not like them. In fact, he hates them enough to be labeled as "robotophobic." This man is Del Spooner (Smith) a Chicago homicide detective. His distrust of robots is well known to everyone, and it's gotten him into hot water with his lieutenant, John Bergin (McBride). But when lead robot designer Alfred Manning (Cromwell) has killed himself on the eve of the NS-5 (the newest robot) distribution, Del is convinced that a robot named Sonny (Tudyk) did it. But how is that possible if a robot cannot break the Three Laws?
It's a perplexing question, and although "I, Robot" seems like a formulaic action movie, it doesn't take long to realize that it's not. Distilled to its essence, this is a murder mystery with action scenes thrown in, but they are not carelessly grafted on. The script, by Jeff Vintar and Akiva Goldsman, is well thought out. Additionally, they include some ideas about what it means to be human.
The acting is solid. Will Smith, the world's biggest movie star, is perfectly at home as Del. Del has some buried secrets behind his hatred of robots, but since this is a summer action movie, we know it's only a matter of time before he turns out to be right. As his female sidekick, Moynahan is also good as "robot psychiatrist" Dr. Susan Calvin. She lacks screen presence, but she's a decent actress. She also has some comic skills, which are put to good use when she tries to use Del's stereo. Alan Tudyk is very good as Sonny, voicing him with naivete and innocence (although since he is entirely rendered by CGI, computers help a lot in that regard. Able support is given by character actors Bruce Greenwood, Chi McBride, and James Cromwell.
Alex Proyas has directed a number of stylish action movies, like "Dark City" and "The Crow." Both of those movies where covered in darkness and despair. "I, Robot" doesn't really have any sense of style, grim or otherwise. In fact, it looks pretty bland, especially when compared to another intelligent sci-fi action movie, "Minority Report." That being said, the film does contain a plot that we want to see through to the end and some impressive action sequences.
In short, this is a good flick.
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